Japan Disease Incidence and Prevalence: A rapidly aging population is driving the increasing incidence of chronic diseases

Japan has a population of almost 128 million people and has one of the best healthcare systems in the Asia-Pacific region. Unlike China and India, Japan has universal healthcare coverage that allows citizens to have easy and affordable access to medical treatment. Healthcare spending in Japan accounts for a remarkable 9.5% of total GDP, and it is expected to be maintained at the same rate for the next few years.

The Japanese have one of the longest life expectancies in Asia and, together with the low birth rate, this statistic accounts for the rapidly ageing population. Due to Japan's large proportion of elderly people, chronic diseases are the main burden on the healthcare system with hypertension and osteoarthritis being the most prevalent diseases in Japan, along with old age-related diseases such as cataracts which are also increasingly prevalent. Thus, ophthalmology and orthopedic procedure volumes in Japan are very high and are expected to grow quickly in the next few years.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 Japanese adults suffer from cardiovascular diseases, while metabolic diseases affect as many as 1 in 5 people. There were 700,000 cases of cancer in Japan in 2012, with colorectal and stomach cancers contributing the bulk of cases with stomach cancer being among the top ten causes of death in Japan. In terms of infectious disease, most of those that affect developing nations have been eradicated. The main infectious diseases affecting Japan are tuberculosis and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli both of which, however, are difficult to eradicate due to evolving strains of drug resistant bacteria.

Reports are produced exclusively by Medtech Insight, through extensive primary and secondary research among the clinicians, researchers, and competitors in the marketplace, and draw upon the industry expertise of a network of industry insiders. Medtech Insight exhaustively corroborates the data as a baseline for completing forward-looking analysis and providing insight into product, technology and market evolution.

Clearstate is a market intelligence firm offering customized strategic advisory and primary research solutions specifically addressing the Healthcare and Life Sciences domains within the Asia Pacific region. www.clearstate.com

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